7,000 working at Tesla gigafactory east of Reno

Tesla's battery factory in northern Nevada has created more than 7,000 jobs — 40 percent more than promised — and an additional 8,200 jobs in other local businesses since it opened east of Reno in 2014.

The Governor's Office of Economic Development said in a report Wednesday 7,059 employees were working in the Tesla/Panasonic gigafactory as of June 30 with average hourly wages of $25.78.

The report says the companies have invested $6 billion in the factory that produces high-tech batteries for electric vehicles and home-power supplies.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk pledged to employ 5,000 in exchange for more than $1 billion in state tax incentives.

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Gov. Brian Sandoval says the world-class facility has disrupted the automotive and energy industries in just four years. In addition to jobs, he says it has "had an extraordinary effect on perceptions about Nevada."